Category 6 is an Ethernet cable standard defined by the Electronic Industries Association and Telecommunications Industry Association (EIA/TIA). CAT 6 is the sixth generation of twisted pair Ethernet cabling, which is used in home and business networks. CAT 6 cabling is backward compatible with the CAT 5 and CAT 5e standards that preceded it.... Read More
An Ethernet cable is one of the most popular forms of network cable used on wired networks. Ethernet cables connect devices together within a local area network, like PCs, routers, and switches.
Given that these are physical cables, they do have their limitations, both in the distance that they can stretch and still carry proper signals, and their durability. This is one reason there are different types of Ethernet cables; to perform certain tasks in particular situations.... Read More
A fiber optic cable is a network cable that contains strands of glass fibers inside an insulated casing. They're designed for long distance, very high performance data networking and telecommunications.
Compared to wired cables, fiber optic cables provide higher bandwidth and can transmit data over longer distances.
Fiber optic cables support much of the world's internet, cable television and telephone systems.... Read More
Despite advances in wireless technologies, many computer networks in the 21st century still rely on cables as a physical medium for devices to transfer data. Several standard types of network cables exist, each designed for specific purposes.... Read More
Wi-Fi has emerged as the single most popular wireless network protocol of the 21st century. While other wireless protocols work better in certain situations, Wi-Fi technology powers most home networks, many business local area networks and public hotspot networks.
Some people erroneously label all kinds of wireless networking as “Wi-Fi” when in reality Wi-Fi is just one of many wireless technologies.
See - Guide to Wireless Network Protocols.... Read More
People sometimes refer to wireless networking as “Wi-Fi” even when the network uses a totally unrelated kind of wireless technology. While it might seem ideal that all of the world’s wireless devices should use one common network protocol such as Wi-Fi, today’s networks support a wide variety of different protocols instead. The reason: No one protocol in existence provides an optimal solution for all of the different wireless usages people want. Some are better optimized to conserve battery on mobile devices, while others offer higher speeds or more reliable and longer-distance connections.
The below wireless network protocols have proven especially useful in consumer devices and/or business environments.... Read More
LTE is the newest broadband technology for mobile devices.
Long Term Evolution is a wireless broadband technology designed to support roaming internet access by cell phones and handheld devices. Because LTE offers significant improvements over older cellular communication standards, some refer to it as a 4G technology, along with WiMax.... Read More
A Look at Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX)
WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is a technology standard for long-range wireless networking, for both mobile and fixed connections. While WiMAX was once envisioned to be a leading form of internet communication as an alternative to cable and DSL, its adoption has been limited.... Read More
Wi-Fi is the industry name for wireless local area network (WLAN) communication technology related to the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless networking standards. Wi-Fi technology became popular starting with 802.11b, introduced in 1999 and the first standard in that family to enjoy mainstream adoption. For more about the name “Wi-Fi”, see: Wi-Fi - The Technology Formerly Known as Wireless Fidelity.... Read More
In the past, home automation was confronted with distance barriers in large homes and commercial buildings because the network was limited in how far the signals could travel. Differences in electrical wiring, called phases, required you to use phase couplers to bridge the signals from one electrical circuit to another. Large homes with longer wiring distances experienced weak signals and sporadic performance.
At times it seemed like you needed a degree in electrical engineering to make it all work.
Home automation enthusiasts have long reported to system designers that they wanted more features. Sure, turning on the lights with a remote control from across the room was great, but what about turning off the TV upstairs in the kids' room when it’s time for them to go to sleep?... Read More
Everything you need to know about bandwidth and how to calculate what you need.
The term bandwidth has a number of technical meanings but since the popularization of the internet, it has generally referred to the volume of information per unit of time that a transmission medium (like an internet connection) can handle.
An internet connection with a larger bandwidth can move a set amount of data (say, a video file) much faster than an internet connection with a lower bandwidth.
Bandwidth is typically expressed in bits per second, like 60 Mbps or 60 Mb/s, to explain a data transfer rate of 60 million bits (megabits) every second.... Read More
An understandable guide to everything from Bytes to Yottabytes.
Without a doubt, one of the more common technology questions we get asked about surround those data storage metrics, like terabytes, gigabytes, petabytes, megabytes, etc.
You've probably heard most of the terms before, but do you know what they mean? How many gigabytes are in a terabyte? What does one terabyte actually mean in the real world? These are all things you need to know before you buy a hard drive or memory card, choose a tablet based on the memory it has, etc.
Fortunately, as confusing as it all might all seem at first glance, all of these units of measurement are easily convertible from one to another, and are simple concepts to grasp thanks to the examples we've provided below.
Let's start with the basics.... Read More
Keeping your Wi-Fi secure is a challenge, to say the least. Security hasn't kept up with Wi-Fi advances, but there are steps you can take to keep your Wi-Fi network protected....... Read More